T.J. McDonough, a relief pitcher on the Virginia Peninsula Community College baseball team, was named an NJCAA Division 3 first-team All-American by The JBB, which bills itself as the “official home for junior college baseball.”
In 30 innings pitched, he earned two wins and two saves with an earned run average of 3.97. He faced 144 batters, giving up 37 hits and striking out 25. He graduated with an associate degree in business and will go on to Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, where he also will play baseball.
“We gave him the nickname ‘The Gamer.’ He was the type of guy that wanted the ball,” said coach Shane Harrison. “He has that competitive edge about him that you can’t coach. He’s just born with it.”
Harrison said McDonough had a “decent” first year at VPCC, but put in a lot of work in the fall and winter, particularly with weight training.
“He got a lot stronger,” Harrison said. “That helped him a lot. Everything about him improved, from his legs all the way up to his arms.”
McDonough didn’t overpower the opposition, said Harrison, but had a nice breaking ball and hit his spots.
“He didn’t leave anything down the heart of the plate,” the coach said.
McDonough credited the coaching staff with helping him reach his goal of playing at a four-year university.
“I really enjoyed how helpful the coaching staff was to get me to the next part of my career,” he said.
Coming out of high school, he contacted most of the community colleges in the state.
“I went on a tour of Virginia Peninsula and I liked it. I liked the coach, and just decided that was where I wanted to go,” he said.
He enjoyed his time at the College, saying he will cherish the friends he made.
“I felt like they’re going to be my lifelong friends, more than my friends I had in high school,” he said. “And the coaching, I feel like I can always rely on them, even later on.”
He’s hoping the players who come behind him enjoy it as much as he did.
He will continue studying business at Mary Baldwin, and is interested in running a lawn-care business.
For more on VPCC athletics, go to vpcc.edu.